CN102934466A - Mobile device discovery and information distribution system for tag reader systems at retail stores - Google Patents

Abstract

A retail store communication network, point of transaction (POT) terminal, and methods of using the same according to embodiments of the present application may include a handheld and/or fixed optical reader for reading bar code symbols of an item (item) and generating decoded bar code data messages. The network is configured such that the (POT) terminal can use linked or identified mobile devices by means of wireless communication to provide a ranked order of identified customers at the (POT) terminal among a plurality of discoverable wireless devices.

Description

Mobile device discovery and information distribution system for tag reader systems at retail stores

technical field

The present application relates generally to retail store networks and more particularly to mobile devices related to point-of-sale transactions using data terminals capable of obtaining decodable indicia and frames of image data.

Background technique

The use of optical markings, such as barcode symbols, has become the norm for identifying products and inventory in various retail commercial and industrial settings. Each item is typically marked with an optical indicium associated with an item description and other attributes (eg, price) stored in a database of the host device or network system. An optical reader is used to read the optical indicia and provide the reading as input information to the host device. In some cases, the data is provided to the host device via a base unit in communication with an optical reader. Examples of host devices include computers (stationary or portable), personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable data terminals (PDTs), point-of-sale (POS) terminals, point-of-transaction (POT) terminals, transaction terminals, cash register ) or similar devices. Checkout stations in retail environments use fixed presentation optical readers (e.g. flatbed scanners, omnidirectional barcode readers), mobile handheld optical readers hard-linked to the base unit, wirelessly connected to the linked base unit A communicating mobile wireless handheld optical reader or some combination of the above to read optical indicia such as barcode symbols or barcodes. In some retail environments, the base unit then transmits this information to the cash register. Alternatively, the handheld optical reader can be connected directly to the cash register.

One delay in passing a customer through a transaction in a retail environment is identifying the customer to a cashier or POT terminal. A related technique for linking a retail checkout network to a customer is to scan (eg, using an optical or magnetic reader) an identification card issued to the customer by the retail establishment. Typically, the identification card includes barcode or magnetic data identifying the customer located on the back of the identification card. Alternatively, the customer may be identified to the retail settlement network by entering the customer's phone number or other identifying criteria. However, such identification takes time and delays the customer's processing at the transaction terminal by requiring additional action by the teller and/or the customer.

Contents of the invention

A wireless communication network of a retail business environment may provide additional capabilities to more quickly complete transactions for customers or identify the customer at a point of transaction (POT) terminal or an operation involving the customer. An exemplary retail business communication system is a Bluetooth wireless communication system. The POT terminal may use the RSSI value, which may indicate the Bluetooth signal strength from a communicating Bluetooth device, and determine the closest device through the RSSI value. POT terminals can exchange information with discovered devices to form an information distribution list. Selected discovered devices are identified as retail commercial environment internal devices and can be excluded from the information distribution list.

Description of drawings

The features described herein can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead generally being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. In the drawings, like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts throughout the various views.

Therefore, for a further understanding of the features of the present application, reference is made to the following detailed description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary retail store network in which embodiments according to the present application may be used;

Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an embodiment of a method of operating a transaction terminal in accordance with the present application; and

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an embodiment of a method of operating a transaction terminal in accordance with the present application.

Detailed ways

Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiments of the present application, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. As shown in FIG. 1 , embodiments according to the present application may be used as part of a retail store network 100 at a point of transaction (POT) terminal 150 . In the illustrative retail store network 100 of FIG. 1 , a handheld optical reader 12 scans a barcode symbol of an item 102 , decodes the information contained in the barcode symbol, and converts the decoded barcode data associated with the item 102 Wirelessly transmitted to base unit 14 linked with handheld optical reader 12 . Base unit 14 then transmits the barcode data message to a host device such as cash register 104 , which may also be located at POT terminal 150 . For example, cash register 104 may include a general purpose computer, controller or processor. The base unit 14 transmits the decoded barcode data to the cash register 104 via a wireless connection or a hardwired connection 106 such as, for example, a USB connection or an RS-232 serial connection to the cash register 104 . Exemplary wireless communications for the POT terminal 150 may include, but are not limited to, wireless Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11b, ZigBee, Near Field Communication (NFC), or other standardized or proprietary RF systems or devices.

In addition to the handheld optical reader 12, the base unit 14, and the cash register 104, the POT terminal 150 may also include a transaction terminal that is also connected to the cash register 104 via the cash register 104's wireless or hardwired connection 109 108. Transaction terminal 108 allows a customer to use a credit or debit card, electronic benefit card, or customer loyalty card during or in order to complete a transaction at POT terminal 150. To process customer transactions, transaction terminal 108 is connected to in-store server 110 via network backbone 116 . Local server 110 may communicate with remote servers including credit/debit authorization network 114 or additional networks through appropriately configured gateway 112 . In response to an authorization request including the customer account number and purchase amount, in one embodiment, credit/debit authorization network 114 via gateway 112 may deny the requested purchase transaction or approve the requested purchase transaction. When the credit/debit authorization network 114 approves the transaction, the credit card company account, retailer account, and customer account are credited or debited as appropriate. In addition to pricing information, local server 110 may communicate additional information about item 102, including, for example, inventory information about item 102, current or future promotions involving the item, or related accessories that customers may be interested in purchasing.

One or more mobile devices 170 (e.g., 170a, 170b, . . An exemplary wireless communication system for communication between fixed or mobile devices 170 (or systems) is Bluetooth module technology implemented by a wireless transceiver 172 disposed at the mobile device 170 . Similarly, the handheld optical reader 12, base unit 14, or cash register 104 may include a wireless transceiver 172, such as, for example, a wireless Bluetooth transceiver using standard or proprietary implementations. In one embodiment, each wireless transceiver 172 includes an RF module and an antenna and is configured to engage in two-way communication with at least one other wireless transceiver 172 or mobile device. Although described here as a Bluetooth transceiver 172 , other standard or proprietary wireless technologies may be implemented by the wireless device 170 such as the transceiver 172 .

Returning to operation at the POT terminal 150, after the base unit 14 transmits the barcode information of the item 102 received from the wireless optical reader 12 to the cash register 104, the cash register 104 transmits this information to the store server 110, where Among various functions and responsibilities, it may store in its memory or otherwise access a price look-up table. When store server 110 receives the barcode data message for item 102 , it may correlate the price associated with that item 102 and communicate the price to cash register 104 .

According to embodiments of its apparatus and methods, the wireless communication capabilities of a retail business environment may provide additional capabilities to more quickly present customers with desired purchases and/or process customer transactions (eg, at POT terminals).

In an exemplary embodiment, the application or software may reside on a host device, such as the optical reader 12 or its base unit 14 at the POT terminal 150 to which the base unit 14 is associated or connected. The application or software is responsible for identifying or retrieving the appropriate information from the establishment database to determine the few closest mobile Bluetooth devices for the POT terminal 150, such as for checkout using the cash register 104 in a retail store. A Bluetooth host device may be a device implementing a higher layer capable of controlling a separate module providing the lower layers of Bluetooth. For example, if a general purpose computer or laptop computer has an operational Bluetooth card, the computer is the host device and the Bluetooth card is the module. In one embodiment, the application or software is responsible for determining the next customer to be processed at the POT terminal 150 from among multiple customers with Bluetooth devices using the retail store's Bluetooth network. By identifying the next customer to process before the customer reaches the POT terminal 150, the transaction can be conducted more quickly, the overall cost of the POS transaction can be reduced and/or customer satisfaction can be increased.

For example, in an exemplary commercial environment embodiment, a retail store may have one or more establishment wireless communication devices, each of which will use the Bluetooth wireless protocol to establish communication to a customer's mobile device for communication between the two. Establish a wireless communication link between them. For example, when entering a retail store, the customer may be alerted (via visual, audible or tactile indicators) to the customer's mobile device 170 to participate in the Bluetooth network and determine whether a link will be established.

In one embodiment, mobile devices (eg, customers) can be detected and linked to the storefront wireless Bluetooth network upon entering a retail store. For example, a first mobile Bluetooth device may enter an enterprise operating in Bluetooth broadcast mode. In broadcast mode, the first mobile Bluetooth device may transmit a message including the name of the first mobile Bluetooth device 172x and the address of its wireless transceiver 172x to inform any nearby Bluetooth devices that the first mobile Bluetooth device 170x is available for linking. Another device such as a host device or a storefront communication device in the retail store network 100 and set in discovery mode may be notified of the first mobile Bluetooth device 170x. Acting as a Bluetooth master, the host device can initiate the linking process of the wireless transceiver by communicating its address to the first mobile Bluetooth device 170x. After the first mobile Bluetooth device 170x and the host device have been linked, information can be transmitted between the Bluetooth devices. A Bluetooth device can transmit information such as device name, device class, service list, device characteristics, manufacturer, Bluetooth profile used, clock offset, and other information as needed. When the first mobile Bluetooth device 170x no longer wishes to operate in link communication with the host device, the Bluetooth communication may be interrupted.

A point-to-point link is between a master Bluetooth device and a slave Bluetooth device. A point-to-multipoint communication link is between the master Bluetooth device and up to seven Bluetooth devices in the wireless user group. A wireless user group of up to eight devices is called a piconet. However, a master Bluetooth device in one piconet may be a slave Bluetooth device in another piconet to form a hashnet with greater than eight Bluetooth participants and increased complexity.

In one embodiment, the local server 110 may track all mobile devices 170 participating in the retail store's wireless Bluetooth network (or networks). A network backbone 116 may be used to link local server 110 to a host device (at POT terminal 150 or elsewhere). A first host device operating at the first POT terminal 150 may be implemented at the base 14, the cash register 104, or the like. Accordingly, a first host device at a first POT terminal 150 can communicate with a first plurality of mobile devices 170'a, 170'b, ..., 170'n within range. The first plurality of mobile devices 170'a, 170'b, . subset of .

The first host device may use received signal strength indicator (RSSI) values from each of the first plurality of mobile devices 170'a, . . . , 170'n to determine the The relative distance of each of 170'a, 170'b, ..., 170'n. In one embodiment, the first host device may determine the relative distance to each of the first plurality of mobile devices 170'a, . . . , 170'n and use the RSSI value to initiate a The order of increasing physical distance begins with the closest and proceeds to the next closest communication. The first host device may initially send information to the nearest mobile device 170' _nearest . For example, a host device can use the Read_RSSI command. In one embodiment, a Bluetooth device may be connected to several other Bluetooth devices simultaneously, with different distances and/or different reception qualities between them, and thus the RSSI may be different on each link. Therefore, the Request RSSI Value message may use the connection handle as a parameter to identify which link's RSSI is being read. Additionally, the transmit power and/or receive strength of the transmissions may be used and used to determine the relative distance therebetween. For example, the Read_Transmit_Power_Level command takes a connection handle parameter to specify which link's transmit power level is being read. In one embodiment, the transmit power level command can be used to read the current transmit power level and the maximum power level at which the Bluetooth device can transmit according to the requested type parameters. The requested power level may be returned in a corresponding acknowledgment message such as a Command_Complete event. Exemplary power levels used for RSSI may be communicated in units of dBm.

According to an embodiment of the application, the first host device at the first POT terminal 150 may then use the RSSI signals from the first plurality of mobile devices (e.g., customers) 170'a, 170'b, . . . , 170'n to determine the relative position. The first host device may then use the relative positions determined for the first plurality of mobile devices 170'a, _170'b , . One customer to determine the next customer. For example, the first host device may be based on the fact that it has the highest RSSI value, has the closest location, is located within a specified area adjacent to or close to the first host device, or has a relationship with the plurality of first mobile devices 170'a, 170'b, ..., 170'n of the highest corresponding RSSI values or locations of the first host device to identify the mobile device 170 _next . In one embodiment, the rate of change of RSSI values or a weighted average of RSSI values may be used to prioritize or determine mobile device location by POT terminal 150 . The operator at the first POT terminal 150 can confirm the identity of the next customer (eg, mobile device 170 _next ) when initiating the transaction.

In an alternative embodiment, the host device may divide the first plurality of mobile devices 170'a, 170'b, ..., 170'n into separate lists prior to determining the next customer 170 _next . For example, the host device may also be operable to attempt and reduce the number of the first plurality of mobile devices 170'a, 170'b, . . . , 170'n to a limited number (eg, 5). For example, a first host device may divide the first plurality of mobile devices 170'a, 170'b, ..., 170'n such that one list is customers and another list may be "internal devices". For example, "internal equipment" could include employees (salespeople or managers) and so on. In one embodiment, the frequency of detection of the corresponding mobile device 170 may be used to separate the list of customers and "internal devices". The frequency of mobile device 170 detection may be used because when one is found very frequently (eg, daily or multiple times per day), then the determination may be an "internal device" and it may be excluded from the customer list. For example, the host device may provide a graphical user interface (GUI) to allow the operator to view the plurality of mobile devices 170'a, 170'b, ..., 170'n as having A separate list of customers. The operator of the host device can confirm the handover of the individual mobile device 170 to the internal device.

In an exemplary embodiment, the locations of participants in the Bluetooth network may be monitored, and customer locations (eg, order) may be correlated with each of the plurality of POT terminals 150 . In one embodiment, each POT terminal 150 is coupled to a Bluetooth network and/or a computer, such as local service 110 , which monitors the Bluetooth network to receive each customer's identification for processing at the corresponding cash register 104 .

An embodiment of a method of initiating a transaction in a retail store according to the present application will now be described. The method embodiment shown in FIG. 2 can be implemented in the retail store network embodiment shown in FIG. 1, and will use this retail store network embodiment to describe the method embodiment shown in FIG. 2, however, the method embodiment No limitation is intended.

As shown in FIG. 2, after the process begins, the first host device at the first POT terminal 150 may detect (e.g., a Bluetooth discovery process) a mobile Bluetooth device (DMBD) carried by a customer within range of the first host device ( operation block 210). The first host device at the first POT terminal 150 may request an RSSI value from the DMBD indicating Bluetooth signal strength and use the RSSI value to determine which of the DMBDs are nearby mobile Bluetooth devices (operation block 220 ). The first host device then begins pairing with the closest DMBD of nearby DMBDs, and may send customer identification data for the paired DBMDs. The first host device at the first POT terminal 150 may pair with and exchange information with a prescribed number (eg, 3, 5, 10) of nearby DMBDs (operation block 230 ). The first host device may remove some of the selected linked recent DMBDs when they are determined to be on the retail store's "internal devices" list. For example, an employee Bluetooth mobile device may be on the "Internal Devices" list (operation block 240). The first host device may identify the nearest of the nearest DBMDs as the next customer of the first POT terminal 150, and provide the customer identification (e.g., using data exchanged while pairing) to the POT terminal 150 to increase the popularity of the retail store. The rate at which customers are processed at the POT terminal (operation block 240). In one embodiment, the RSSI value may be obtained prior to exchanging additional information (operation block 250).

Another embodiment of a method of initiating a transaction in a retail store according to the present application will now be described. The method embodiment shown in FIG. 3 can be implemented in the retail store network embodiment shown in FIG. 1, and will use this retail store network embodiment to describe the method embodiment shown in FIG. 3, however, the method implementation Examples are not intended to be so limited.

As shown in FIG. 3, after the process begins, a customer enters a retail store carrying a mobile device equipped with wireless communication capabilities, such as Bluetooth or other communication modules, and comes within communication range of the store communication system (operation block 310). The store's first Bluetooth host device, for example loaded on a general purpose computer or PC located near the store entrance and/or store exit, may monitor and detect customers entering/leaving the store with Bluetooth mobile devices (operation block 315). For example, the detection in operation block 315 may be performed repeatedly, periodically, intermittently, or in response to operator action or sensed conditions.

Upon detection of the Bluetooth mobile device, the first Bluetooth host device then attempts to pair with the customer's Bluetooth enabled mobile device (operation block 320). In one embodiment, the first Bluetooth host device may attempt to pair by sending a request message to the customer's detected mobile device (DMD). The customer can accept this request to be paired. The first Bluetooth host device then pairs with the customer DMD and sends customer mobile device identification data, which may be stored by both the first host device and the customer mobile device (operation block 320, YES). The identification data may also be sent to a Bluetooth network controller (not shown) coupled to the wireless network or to the local/store server 110 . In one embodiment, the local server 110 may monitor the location of a first plurality of customers within the store with DMDs (e.g., all customers in the store with DMDs) and each customer whose DMD is connected to the retail store's Bluetooth network the last to leave.

POT terminal (POTT) 150 may have a second host device (eg, in cash register 104 ), which may monitor a second plurality of customers with DMDs within range of the second host device (operation block 330 ). The second host device may determine the position or relative location of each of the second plurality of patrons by receiving RSSI signals from the second plurality of patrons. Control may then continue to operation block 350, where the number of the second plurality of customers may be reduced by using the frequency of detection.

In operation block 350, for example, the second plurality of customers may be grouped into multiple lists including, but not limited to, billing customer lists, and internal equipment lists for retail store employees and delivery or maintenance personnel. In one embodiment, the internal device list can be determined by detecting frequency. For example, an employee will have a mobile device (such as a DMD) that is detected virtually every day. Supervising employees may have mobile devices that are detected more than once per day. Instead, customers will come into the retail store less often.

By monitoring the location using the RSSI signals of the mobile devices in the customer list, the POT terminal 150 can use the DMD to identify the customer before the customer reaches the cash register 104 to complete the transaction (operation block 360 ). The customer identification may be provided to an operator or cashier for the transaction (operation block 370). Optionally, additional information about the identified customer may be provided to the teller or cash register 104 with the customer identification. From operation block 370, the process may end.

In one embodiment, additional RSSI signals from other host devices (eg, at other POT terminals 150 or additional store host devices) may be used to supplement the location determination made by the second host device (operation block 340). If three or more RSSI values for individual links are obtained for at least one mobile device 170, the local server or processor performs a triangulation process to determine the location.

Although the exemplary embodiment was described using a list of nearby mobile devices and a list of internal devices, additional lists may be used in accordance with the present application. Such lists may be maintained using tables or linked lists at the host device or remote or local servers. Exemplary lists may include a main list, a list for each POT terminal, a list for DMDs with RSSI values for multiple links, additional customer information lists such as but not limited to legal age limit lists, or group mobile devices list. For example, in a group mobile device list, multiple people can shop together if each has a DMD, but only one mobile device is a lead, and other DMDs (such as a parent with a bluetooth device and two children who may together in a retail store, but only one DMD is a lead).

Many services provided over Bluetooth can expose private data or allow a connected party to control a Bluetooth device. For security reasons, there is therefore a need to control which devices are allowed to connect to a given Bluetooth device. At the same time, it is useful for a Bluetooth device to automatically establish a connection once it is within range without user intervention.

To resolve this conflict, Bluetooth uses a process called pairing. Two devices need to be paired once to communicate with each other; this pairing process is usually triggered automatically the first time a device receives a connection request from a device it is not already paired with. Once a pairing has been established, it is remembered by the device, which then connects to each without user intervention. The pairing relationship can be removed later by the user when desired.

Pairs of Bluetooth devices can establish a relationship by creating a shared secret called a link key in a process called pairing. Exemplary pairing mechanisms or protocols include traditional pairing, secure simple pairing, passkey entry, out-of-band (OOB) pairing, and the like. Secure Simple Pairing uses a form of public key cryptography where no user intervention is required, but the device can prompt the user to confirm the pairing process.

Use passkey input to pair between a device with a display and a device with numeric keypad input, such as a keyboard, or two devices with numeric keypad input. In the first case, the display is used to show the numerical code to the user, who then enters the code on the keypad. In the second case, the user of each device enters the same number. OOB pairing uses external means of communication, such as NFC, to exchange certain information used in the pairing process. Pairing is done using the Bluetooth radio, but requires information from the OOB mechanism.

However, while certain Bluetooth services may require encryption or authentication, pairing is likewise required before it allows a remote device to use a given service. Certain service options, such as Object Push Profile, do not explicitly require authentication or encryption so that pairing does not interfere with the user experience associated with service usage. A Bluetooth device is said to be bonded if a link key is stored by both Bluetooth devices. A device that wants to communicate only with the bonded device can cryptographically authenticate the other device's identity and thus be certain that it is the same device it was previously paired with. Once the link key has been generated, the authenticated ACL link between the devices can be encrypted so that the data they exchange over the airwaves is protected from eavesdropping.

Each Bluetooth device has a unique address that is generally not shown in the query. Alternatively, a public or friendly Bluetooth name can be used, which can be set by the user. This common name appears when another user scans for a list of Bluetooth devices and paired devices. Most mobile devices have the Bluetooth name set to the manufacturer and model of the phone as a default. Most phones and laptops only display the Bluetooth name, and special programs can be used to obtain additional information from the remote device.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that although handheld optical reader 12 is described as separate functional components, the functionality of any of the separate components may be combined. Additionally, the optical readers disclosed herein may include a scan engine for decoding the optical indicia. The scan engine in an exemplary optical reader may be a laser scan engine or an image capture device.

Embodiments according to the application are described as being capable of reading or processing barcodes. Without loss of generality, an exemplary optical reader may be any device capable of reading optical indicia, such as machine-readable information-bearing indicia (IBI) or dataforms, such as 1D barcodes, 2D barcodes , 1D stacked barcodes, logos, icons, color codes, etc.

Embodiments according to the present application described herein with respect to programs, procedures, methods and devices are not related to or limited to any particular type of computer or network device (hardware or software and/or network structures such as PAN, LAN, WAN ). Various types of general purpose or special purpose computer equipment may be used or performed in accordance with the teachings described herein. Although various elements of the exemplary embodiments have been described as being implemented in software, in other embodiments, may alternatively be implemented using hardware or firmware, and vice versa.

A small sample of the systems and methods described here follows:

A． A system for a retail store network may include:

A storefront communication device (establishment communication device) configured to communicate wirelessly with a mobile communication device conveyed by a user within communication range of the storefront communication device, the storefront communication device will communicate to a first plurality of the mobile communication devices Each of the mobile devices provides a customer ID,

Point of transaction terminals, including:

A handheld barcode reader for reading an item's barcode symbol and generating a decoded barcode data message therefrom;

a base unit for receiving said decoded barcode data message from said handheld barcode reader, said base unit comprising a second wireless transceiver;

a cash register for receiving the decoded barcode data message from the base unit, the cash register being coupled to the base unit; and

a host device coupled to the handheld barcode reader, the base unit, or the cash register, the host device including a second wireless transceiver;

a server for receiving the decoded barcode data message from the cash register, the server being coupled to the cash register and storing a price for correlating the decoded barcode data message with price information lookup table;

Wherein, the host device is configured to detect a second plurality of mobile devices within range of the host device from the first plurality of mobile devices, and use the detection frequency of the host device to determine the third plurality of mobile devices as the second plurality of mobile devices. a subset of the mobile devices, and using the location of the third plurality of mobile devices determined using the RSSI value and the customer ID provided by the storefront wireless network to identify the next customer at the transaction terminal; and

wherein the network is configured such that the handheld barcode reader reads the barcode symbol and uses the first wireless transceiver to transmit the decoded barcode data message, the base unit uses the a second wireless transceiver to receive the decoded barcode data message and transmit the decoded barcode data message to the cash register, which transmits the decoded barcode data message to the server, which Price information associated with the barcode data message is returned to the cash register.

B. A method of initiating a transaction comprising:

wirelessly transmitting a request from the storefront communication device to pair with a mobile communication device conveyed by the user within communication range of the storefront communication device;

Pairing is performed by the user accepting the request;

Utilize a pairing protocol to pair with storefront communication devices;

Linking mobile communication devices with customer identification;

wirelessly transmitting identification data from the storefront communication device to the mobile communication device to establish a first plurality of users of the wireless communication network;

detecting a second plurality of users within range of a second storefront communication device, wherein the second storefront communication device corresponds to a transaction terminal;

generating a ranking order of users to be processed at the transaction terminal from the RSSI values corresponding to the plurality of second users using the second storefront communication device; and

The next customer is identified from the next user at the transaction terminal using the customer identification from the storefront communication device.

While this invention has been described with reference to a number of specific embodiments, it should be understood that the true spirit and scope of this invention should be determined only with respect to the claims that this application can support. Moreover, while in many instances herein, systems and devices and methods are described herein as having a certain number of elements, it will be understood that such systems, devices and methods may be implemented with less than the number of elements described . Also, while a number of specific embodiments have been described, it will be understood that features and aspects that have been described with reference to each specific embodiment can be used in each remaining specific illustrated embodiment. For example, aspects and/or features of the embodiment described with respect to FIG. 2 may be combined with aspects or features of the embodiment described with respect to FIG. 1 .

Claims (19)

1. A network of retail outlets, said network comprising: a storefront communication device configured to communicate wirelessly with a mobile communication device conveyed by a user within communication range of the storefront communication device, the storefront communication device sending a message to each of the first plurality of mobile devices from the mobile communication device Provide customer ID, Point of transaction terminals, including: A handheld barcode reader for reading an item's barcode symbol and generating a decoded barcode data message therefrom; a base unit for receiving said decoded barcode data message from said handheld barcode reader, said base unit comprising a second wireless transceiver; a cash register for receiving the decoded barcode data message from the base unit, the cash register being coupled to the base unit; and a host device coupled to the handheld barcode reader, the base unit, or the cash register, the host device including a second wireless transceiver; a server for receiving the decoded barcode data message from the cash register, the server being coupled to the cash register and storing a price for correlating the decoded barcode data message with price information lookup table; Wherein, the host device is configured to detect a second plurality of mobile devices within range of the host device from the first plurality of mobile devices, and determine a third plurality of mobile devices as the second plurality of mobile devices using a detection frequency by the host device. a subset of mobile devices, and using the location of a third plurality of mobile devices determined using the RSSI value and the customer ID provided by the storefront wireless network to identify the next customer at the point-of-transaction terminal; and wherein the network is configured such that the handheld barcode reader reads the barcode symbol and uses the first wireless transceiver to transmit the decoded barcode data message, the base unit uses the a second wireless transceiver to receive the decoded barcode data message and transmit the decoded barcode data message to the cash register, which transmits the decoded barcode data message to the server, which Price information associated with the barcode data message is returned to the cash register. 2. The retail store network of claim 1 , wherein said network is configured such that a storefront communication device has a link mode, wherein an identifying address of the storefront communication device is exchanged with a mobile communication device to link said first multiple mobile devices identified as participating in the network. 3. The network of retail outlets of claim 1, including using a customer ID for confirmation when a transaction is completed at the POT terminal. 4. The network of retail outlets of claim 1, wherein said location is a location history over 15 second, 30 second or 1 minute intervals. 5. The network of retail outlets of claim 1, wherein the location is determined using an RSSI value. 6. The network of retail outlets of claim 1 , wherein the rank increase of the plurality of third mobile devices to the host device is determined using RSSI values received from each of the plurality of third mobile devices within range. distance order. 7. The network of retail outlets of claim 1 , for determining that a host device of a member of said second plurality of mobile devices is an employee when the frequency of detection is greater than a first daily detection threshold, and additionally adding the member to said first plurality of mobile devices. More than three mobile devices. 8. The network of retail outlets of claim 1 comprising; a second point-of-transaction terminal comprising a second host device comprising a third wireless transceiver, wherein RSSI values are received by the second host device from each of the plurality of third mobile devices; a third point-of-transaction terminal comprising a third host device comprising a fourth wireless transceiver, wherein an RSSI value is received by the third host device from each of the plurality of third mobile devices; Wherein, the RSSI value is used to determine the arrangement order of the third plurality of mobile devices at the first POT terminal with the corresponding customer ID. 9. The network of retail outlets of claim 8, wherein RSSI values are used to determine the rank order of the third plurality of mobile devices at the first POT terminal, the second POT terminal, and the third POT terminal with corresponding customer IDs . 10. The retail store network of claim 8, wherein the RSSI value is used to identify the next customer at the first POT terminal, the second POT terminal, and the third POT terminal using a plurality of RSSI values for each next customer . 11. A method of initiating a transaction comprising: wirelessly transmitting a request from the storefront communication device to pair with a mobile communication device conveyed by the user within communication range of the storefront communication device; Pairing is performed by the user accepting the request; Utilize a pairing protocol to pair storefront communication devices; Linking mobile communication devices with customer identification; wirelessly transmitting identification data from the storefront communication device to the mobile communication device to establish a first plurality of users of the wireless communication network; detecting a second plurality of users within range of a second storefront communication device, wherein the second storefront communication device corresponds to a transaction terminal; generate a user ranking order to be processed at the trading terminal; from RSSI values corresponding to the plurality of second users using a second storefront communication device; and The next customer is identified from the next user at the transaction terminal using the customer identification from the storefront communication device. 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising; confirming the customer identification of the next customer to the next customer; and The customer ID is used when completing the transaction. 13. The method of claim 11 comprising; mapping a plurality of historical locations for each of the plurality of second users using corresponding historical RSSI values; and The next user is determined using a relevant comparison of historical locations for multiple customers. 14. The method of claim 11, wherein the ranked increasing distance order of the plurality of second users is determined using RSSI values received from each of the plurality of second users within range. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein a third additional RSSI value is received from each of the plurality of customers for a corresponding link to a third host device comprising a storefront communication device. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein at least two additional RSSI values correspond to additional communication links between each of the plurality of second users and additional storefront communication devices. 17. The method of claim 11, wherein detecting the plurality of customers from the plurality of users (mobile devices) comprises: determining an identity for each of the plurality of users through communication with a server; determine the detection frequency for each identified user; and The user is determined to be an employee when the detection frequency is greater than a daily first detection threshold. 18. The method of claim 11, wherein customer identifications for the plurality of second users including the next customer are received from a local server. 19. The method of claim 11, wherein the storefront communication device is provided on a handheld optical reader or base unit, and wherein the handheld optical reader includes a laser scanning engine or an image capture device, further Including using the RSSI value received from the second storefront communication device to determine the location.

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